Carlos and his men rappelled down the ropes from the helicopter flown by Ace. Vince quickly pulled the ropes into the chopper as the ropes went slack. Carlos' team had six hours to get to the shipping yard, where Elmer Martin would unload his cargo. The FBI's international response team arrived an hour earlier and got into position, hiding out of sight on other boats left at the docks. They patiently waited for Manoso and his men to appear.
After an hour, Carlos appeared, the supervisory IRT agent Jackson discussed how they would capture Elmer Martin while protecting the innocent captives. The mission required precision timing or things could go wrong for the women and children.
Lester grabbed the camera and scaled the tree. He loved moving around the treetops like a monkey. It took several minutes for Lester to find a place to capture the images. Lester took practice shots to check the clarity of the pictures before selecting the proper lens and filter. "Ready," Lester announced.
"Get locked and loaded," Carlos ordered. Jackson communicated the order to his team. "Can we get on the same channel?" Carlos asked. The men tried a few combinations until Jackson could hear Carlos over the comms. Carlos switched to the initial channel to get Lester to change his unit. "Lester, tap your comm twice when you get the photos."
"Will do," Lester replied. Everyone stayed quiet as the winch on the shipping barge unloaded the cargo onto the transport boat. Lester was disgusted that the women and children got shipped inside multiple wooden crates. The children were going to be severely dehydrated or dead. He prayed everyone would be alive.
Lester snapped multiple pictures, ensuring he caught the faces of the men on the barge. Three hours later, Lester got all the visual evidence he needed. Lester tapped his microphone twice. Without saying a word, Carlos and the others moved toward the criminal.
Off the coast of Colombia, the FBI's international response team, Carlos, and his men captured Elmer Martin as he attempted to smuggle teen girls and boys into the country to get sold as drug mules or sex partners. They found over fifty children between the ages of ten and seventeen.
Elmer Martin claimed he got set up. His fabricated story couldn't hold water. The FBI had photographic proof he loaded the children onto the boat from the crates. Carlos had Lester watching through a telescopic lens to take pictures of everything. Martin would spend his remaining life behind bars in a federal prison. The FBI never gave Elmer the chance to contact his brother. He was permitted to call his lawyer. Before the lawyer could prevent it, the FBI filed an injunction to have E. E. Martin's accounts audited.
Carlos contacted Frank to announce the capture. They shut down the human trafficking ring despite not catching the kingpin. Carlos said he would keep the intel in mind and continue working to uncover the leader's identity.
It was time for the men to go home. Jackson offered to fly Carlos and his men back to the States. Carlos contacted Ace to pick him up in Miami. Tank sat with crossed arms, staring at Elmer Martin, who was cuffed to the bench at the back of the plane. Jackson and his man, Agent Aaron Smythe, sat on either side of Martin.
At the Pachetco Inlet Marina, Hal watched as the woman; Cal said her name was Stephanie, pushed herself off the window sill to dive into the water. Hal thought the woman looked strangely calm for a civilian. He didn't know Stephanie served in the Air Force. Stephanie didn't have his level of training, but she showed no fear.
Pride in her bold move turned to concern for her safety. The force of the explosion propelled her a few hundred meters away. Stephanie felt the energy from the blast as it threw her like a rag doll. She landed in the water, feeling short of breath. Stephanie focused on Carlos and prayed to her Grandpa Plum to keep her safe. She held her breath as the SEALs swam toward her. Stephanie knew she would be okay. A sense of peace flowed through her.
Hal swam to Stephanie and pressed the mouthpiece of the spare scuba tank to her lips. He turned the knob to open the valve to regulate the airflow. Stephanie nodded when Hal raised his thumb. She was okay. Hal reminded Stephanie, using hand gestures, how to breathe the air from the tank and exhale, letting the bubbles float to the surface. Hal attached the tank to Stephanie's back, pulling her arms through the straps. He reached around to click the buckle to keep it secured.
Cal approached to help Hal pull Stephanie from the water. They had to swim a few miles away from the boat debris. Remembering when she went snorkelling, Stephanie kicked her feet to swim along the coast to an area not littered with debris. The Coast Guard and helicopters focused their efforts on searching for the man they deemed responsible for the trafficking.
Hal, Cal and Stephanie reached the embankment, where Hector leisurely stood, cleaning his fingernails with his knife. Stephanie removed the mouthpiece and said, "I told you," when she got out of the water. Her comm unit stopped working after it got wet. Stephanie knew her dad would be worried about her. She turned the knob to close the tank's valve.
Hector chuckled. "Yes, you did. They listened," Hector replied, pointing to Hal and Cal.
The SEAL trainees climbed from the water. Hal removed his mask, removed the scuba tank and pulled the wetsuit down to his waist. It was too hot to keep it fastened. Cal followed suit. "I've got her," Cal announced before disconnecting his comm unit. Hal had already turned his off. "That was some plan, Stephanie. Next time, don't cut it that close to the wire."
"I'm sorry, Cal. I never meant to scare you two. My foot got caught on the broken chair. I kicked that fucker and pushed myself through the window," Stephanie said. "Thank you for having the spare tank."
"You said it was necessary, ma'am," Hal replied, blushing a deep red that Stephanie could see in the dark.
"It's not often we get civilians involved in the military operations," Cal said.
"Oh, Cal, I'm not a civilian. I'm active in the Air Force," Stephanie replied. "But usually, I'm the one rescuing stranded soldiers."
Cal and Hal chuckled. "Hal and I are glad you're okay. We should return you to the general so he doesn't arrest us for kidnapping," Cal teased. Stephanie liked Cal and Hal. They were friendly men. "Hopefully, we get a chance to work together again. It was fun."
"You and I have a different idea of what constitutes fun. Things could have gotten much worse," Stephanie joked.
"We should go for drinks to celebrate," Cal suggested.
"Sure. I'll have an extra large café mocha vodka Valium latté to go, please. Oh, can you add an extra shot of vodka?"
Hector burst out laughing. They were still in stitches when they approached the marina, where Frank waited for Stephanie to arrive. His relief was evident when he saw his daughter. Frank pulled Stephanie into his arms. "Are you okay?" he asked.
"I'm fine, Daddy—no injuries, abrasions, contusions or concussions. I'm just wet," Stephanie replied. "Hal and Cal found me, as you can see. They listened when I requested an extra scuba tank with the gear."
"Thanks for rescuing my daughter," Frank said. He shook Cal's and Hal's hands before focusing on Hector, whom he embraced. Hector awkwardly returned the hug and caught Stephanie's eye. She winked at her friend. Once Frank released Hector from the embrace, they walked along the water's edge to reach the docks. Frank had his arm across Stephanie's shoulder. He had wondered what Stephanie wore beneath her shirt. Something weird pressed against his arm. Frank didn't want Stephanie to leave his side.
Stephanie saw Joe Morelli on the docks, closest to the parking lot. She tried to walk past him to check on the children, but he stopped her by touching her arm. "It's okay, Dad," Stephanie whispered. Frank nodded. He kissed Stephanie's wet hair and continued walking toward the men gathered around the children.
"You were brave to rescue the girls," Joe said. He couldn't believe Stephanie risked her life to save foreign children. Stephanie didn't seem the type to put herself in danger. Her chin-length hair was messy and all over the place. Despite her appearance, Stephanie was still beautiful.
"Thanks, Joe. We appreciate your assistance tonight. I know you wanted an active role, but we needed your ex-Navy expertise to watch the cargo ship," Stephanie said. "Did you find the guy?"
Joe lowered his chin to look at his shoes. He put his left hand in his pocket before hanging the binoculars over his neck. Stephanie smiled when Joe stuck his thumbs in his belt loops, a signature move he thought the women considered sexy.
"No. He jumped off the barge. We think he wore scuba gear. I bet he expected us to show up," Joe said, sharing his theory. "How have you been?"
"Working," Stephanie replied.
"Would you like to go to dinner with me?" Joe shyly asked.
"No," Stephanie instantly replied.
"Why? Is it because of what happened in the Tasty Pastry?" Joe wondered. Stephanie assumed Joe wasn't attached because he asked her on a date.
"Joe, not many people know, and I don't wear a wedding ring, but I'm married," Stephanie confessed. "My husband is Carlos Manoso. He's in the Army."
Joe raised a brow. He couldn't believe the woman he loved since they were children was married. "I'd like to meet him. Is he here?" Joe asked, looking at Cal and Hal standing with Frank. He dismissed the Hispanic man talking to them. The man drooled over the muscular pecs of the other two, wearing their wetsuits pulled down to their waists. Joe knew the Hispanic male was gay.
"No. He's working on the other part of this mission. Listen, Joe. It was nice catching up with you, but I must go. I've got to debrief. Please, keep my marital status to yourself," Stephanie replied. She took a few steps away from Joe Morelli. "I'll introduce you to my husband when he returns."
"I'd like that," Joe said. He waved as Stephanie turned to walk away.
"Was that Steph?" Carl Costanza asked Morelli.
"Yup," Joe answered.
"What has she been up to lately?" Carl asked.
Eddie Gazarra chuckled when he heard the question. "Steph is in the Air Force. She recently graduated with her degree in Business Administration. From what I just learned, she's undercover. We shouldn't be talking about it here. It could endanger her life," Eddie warned.
Joe had paid close attention to his surroundings. There wasn't anyone in the vicinity who shouldn't have been around. "We should head to the precinct to debrief with the FBI," Joe suggested. Joe got into his car to drive to the police station. Eddie jumped into the passenger seat beside him. "What do you want, Gazarra?"
"Whatever you learned about Stephanie, you must keep it to yourself," Eddie warned. Eddie felt Joe needed an extra reminder because his mother, Angie, was best friends with Helen Plum.
"Stephanie grew into a remarkable woman," Joe said.
"She was always remarkable. Her mother and the Burg never let her shine," Eddie reasoned. Joe thought about Eddie's words and found himself agreeing.
"I like the strong, capable woman she became. She deserves to be happy," Joe said.
"So do you. Stop holding out for something you can never have."
Was Joe waiting for Stephanie? He was, but that had to stop.
Stephanie went home with her dad. He would debrief the SEAL's team and Stephanie away from the Trenton Police Department. Frank and Agent Meyers worked hard to keep Stephanie off the Trenton radar. Much to their surprise, reporters never arrived at the site of the explosion. They never reported on the incident.
"Did anyone see reporters?" Stephanie asked. She chewed her bottom lip, worried someone caught footage of her rescuing the children. Stephanie couldn't afford to have her face spread across New Jersey in the local papers or the national news. It would jeopardize her role.
"Nobody leaked the operation to the press," Frank replied. Stephanie felt relieved.
"Any news on the others?"
"I just received word that they completed their mission and should be coming home soon," Frank answered.
Cal and Hal carried their duffles into Stephanie's house. Hector showed them where to change out of their wetsuits. Stephanie went to the kitchen to put on the kettle for tea but filled the coffee pot instead. As Stephanie waited for the coffee to brew, she grabbed mugs, sugar and milk, setting them on the table for the others to use. She was still wearing damp clothes and wanted to wait until she could shower before changing.
Stephanie, Cal and Hal rehashed every movement and action they took at the docks. "How did you know the door was booby-trapped?" Frank asked.
"I felt the energy radiate from it," Stephanie said. "My spine tingled, and I knew entering through the cabin door was dangerous. The older girl confirmed my suspicion when I peeked in the window."
"Were there explosives attached to the door?" Frank asked.
"Yes. Only enough to kill the person entering the room," Stephanie replied.
"Hal and I found enough explosives attached to the hull to kill everyone on the boat," Cal added.
"It had a digital timer on the detonator and what appeared to be a fishing line trip wire," Hal said.
"So did the one attached to the door. There was also a trip wire," Stephanie explained. "When I pushed the oldest girl through the window, I heard a loud click. The timer turned on and counted down from ten. I climbed on the chair I used to help the younger girls through the window. My shoelace got caught on the broken back. I kicked it away and freed myself. As I launched from the window, I felt the intensity of the blast."
"It's a miracle you weren't severely injured," Cal said. "Hal and I got pushed by the waves."
Cal picked at the hem of his shirt as he recounted the activities leading to Stephanie's rescue. Stephanie touched his arm when he confessed to believing Stephanie died in the blast.
"It was a relief when Stephanie smiled," Hal said. "Without training to use a scuba tank, Stephanie did well."
"Awe, shucks, Hal. You know how to make a girl feel special," Stephanie replied, making Hal blush beet red.
After Frank felt everyone had adequately debriefed, he offered, "Can I give you two a ride to the airport?"
"Dad, they can crash here for a few hours. Ace can take them back when Carlos gets home," Stephanie replied. Cal and Hal seemed relieved to get some rest before going home.
Stephanie smiled as Hector showed them where to sleep. "Are you really okay, Pumpkin?"
"Yes, Daddy. I'm really okay," she replied. Stephanie was curious if her dad knew why she didn't get injured. "Why didn't the blast hurt me?" Frank caught the glimmer in Stephanie's eyes. She withheld information during the debrief. He wasn't upset, but he suspected it was why she didn't get damaged by the blast.
"It must have something to do with being a superhero," he teased. "How's your back?"
"You tell me," Stephanie retorted. She raised the back of her shirt. Frank laughed when he saw the Kevlar jacket. Small pieces of debris, which didn't wash away from the water, got embedded in the vest.
"I knew you were more than just a pretty face," Frank said. "I'm proud of you."
"Dad, I'm proud of you too. Thanks for helping me with the girls. I couldn't have saved them without you and Uncle Joe."